Jack Barber's Visit to Merida

This page is based on a handwritten copy of the diary prepared by Beatriz de Regil Muse. Where I haven't been able to make out the words I have put a question mark in square brackets. Where it looks like Beatriz added a short editorial note I've put that in square brackets and in italics.

In the diary Jack refers to "Auntie Kitty" and "Uncle Willie." These appear to be Beatriz's mother Katherine and her step-father, William Henry Gleadell. Jack was the son of William Gleadell's sister Alice. Jack also talks about Beatriz and, I think, about her younger step-brother Paul. Paul was born in early 1910 so he must be about four at this time.

We sighted land about 10 a.m. and the tug from Progresso arrived about an hour later. We managed to get lunch on the ‘Monterey’ and left for shore. Sea fairly choppy – a ‘Norther’ getting up. As the train for Mérida did not leave till 5:00 we walked about Progresso for an hour. Everything is ‘hemp’ just as it is ‘oil’ in Tampico. There are millions of bales in the Progresso warehouses – With the exception of dust there was nothing else to see.

The country very flat and Mérida is below sea level. Arrived there at 6:15 and very glad to see familiar faces. Auntie Kitty introduced me to a crowd of people all of whose names I forgot at once. We came here [the Quinta] in a motor arriving hungry – speaking for myself – and in good time for dinner. The house and garden are lovely – Like a palace and the weather they say has not been too hot.

Sunday March 8^th

I turned up for breakfast first to my surprise. Perhaps the luxury of a bathroom to myself encouraged my awakening. We all went in the motor – which Paul can drive! – into the city where Auntie Kitty and Beatriz went to the Cathedral and Uncle Willie and I [?] as ‘head nurse.’ The ‘Plaza’ is the finest I have seen with beautiful shade from the sun – the band was playing to a large audience – The Yucatecan crowd is much cleaner than the Mexican. All their clothes seem to have just come back from the wash and their feet – although most of them wear sandals – are clean! The women wear a one piece garment generally finely embroidered and their worldly wealth hangs around their necks in the shape of gold chains, crosses, etc. and corals.

In the afternoon there must have been more than a dozen relations to tea.

After dinner some of the Yucatecan boys showed me round in a motor. Most of them have been in England and speak the language well.

Monday, March 9

Miss Delong had promised to take me for a Spanish lesson to the Mother Superior at the Convent, but she slipped! I was introduced to the office where Auntie Kitty "took the head of the table"!

I wandered round the city and took a few photographs. The place is full of ‘plazas’ all beautifully kept and there are various remains of the Spanish Conquest.

Though there is a nice breeze it is too hot to go out in the afternoon.

Mr. and Mrs. Camara and Mr. and Mrs. Portunado came for dinner and we played a mild game of poker afterwards.

Tuesday March 10

The morning spent mostly in reserving strength for the afternoon (nothing more violent than a run into town in the motor) when a party of beautiful maidens came to tea – I think all the English speaking "relations" – about 25. After tea – or rather, champagne cup, whose praises I can’t attempt to sing – we played a strenuous! game of croquet. Beatriz danced, then we all danced and as it was getting time to break up the party – I sang – Succeeded wonderfully. They all seemed to think it was getting late and time to go! Really, I think I was quite a success though I don’t suppose many understood the words.

One of the ? de Regils came for me in the motor in the morning and took me out to the de Regil hospital for women built by the family. There is room for about 120 patients, a fine operating theatre, church, laboratory etc., all the latest hygenic appliances. Afterwards we drove through the ‘poor’ part of the city though there is no sign of poverty and everyone is clean.

A small army of cabs came for us all after lunch to take us to the station. Total party about 14. The train arrived at Uayalceh (Auntie Kitty’s plantation) about four o’clock.

We drove up to the hacienda in a mule tram. It is all very quaint and almost like a bit of the Old Testament! The Indians kiss one’s hands and bring presents of eggs and fowls to their mistress. In the evening the "band" played – Perhaps the most awful collection of discords it is possible to imagine – but it is wonderful they play as well as they do.

Thursday March 12^th

Went round the buildings in the morning – There is a large square bounded by the house, stables, and a clock tower building where the henequen leaves are cut – as quickly as sausages are made – into hemp.

The only big trees I have seen in Yucatan surround the whole. The house has a colonnade round it and over the roof of the stables are parapets out of which orange trees grow. The Indians seem to find it a favorite place at Angelus.

I forgot the church, or private chapel?, which adjoins the house. It is wonderfully quaint. We also went a short walk to a cenote, as the underground rivers, which are one of the chief features of Yucatan are called – They look like wells in a cave but some fall and rise with the tide and the innumerable shell fossils show their sea source.

In the afternoon it rained and Dr. Antonia Llaviada?, [Laviada] arrived – he’s a [?] (not by profession!) and we have great concerts together.

Friday March 13^th

I get very much behind in this ‘diary’ of events and think each day how dull it must be and that perhaps it would be better to avoid descriptions. But I’ve begun and so I’ll finish it. In the morning S[?] Araminata Arrigunaga and Beatriz de Regil y S[?] Antonio Llaviada, Pedrito de Peon and J.C. Barber not to mention a guide went on horseback to the hacienda of Xthil (there were left behind four of the party including Uncle W and Auntie K) which is an annex of Uayalceh. "Hemp" all the way – It seems safe to wander 20 or 30 miles in any direction and not trespass. The hacienda we all went to – in the mule train – in the afternoon was more interesting being kept up better. "Sotuta" as it is called – opened its arms to us, played its band, presented a pony to Paul which we rode in turn, gave Auntie Kitty 15 hens and about 3 dozen eggs (Perhaps it was a stroke of diplomacy as there were also many receivers among the people).

We went through the fruit garden which had every conceivable kind of fruit and vegetable in it.

We took a large basket of chiles, papayas, cauliflowers, frijoles, etc. back with us. – As we didn’t leave till 6:30 it was dark before we got back (about 7:30). Beatriz who was in the front car accused me of hitting her in the eye with a chile. It must have been a bat!

We went to bed early in preparation for a start back to Merida at 7 a.m.

I haven’t mentioned the fact that we all sleep in hammocks. I sleep well too – it is a most convenient method. The bedrooms can be turned into a sitting room in a minute and there is no bedmaking to be done. Simply two hooks on the drawing room! wall, a hammock, a pillow and – if cold, a sheet.

Today it is not as hot as yesterday.

Saturday March 14

It seems a long time ago though it is now not two o’clock since we left Uayalceh. Owing to a stupid mistake by somebody’s watch most of us seemed to be wakened an hour too early. Even I had had my bath soon after 5 a.m.

Slept like a brick – a bed certainly suits me better than a hammock though I think I could sleep well enough on the floor. We went into town in the motor after breakfast. Uncle Willie and I went into the Cathedral but did not stay long as the collection was being taken - It is a fine building - I had my shoes cleaned and took some photographs of the "belles dames" in the plaza (which wore its gay Sunday morning appearance) until the others came out of church. "Pedrito" Peon came for me in his car and took me to watch a baseball game which roused the spectators to a tremendous pitch of enthusiasm – also the sun (v. hot.) It was between two schools – the finals of some tournament and they played very well. –This house seems a favorite place for Merida (population 60,000) to take its afternoon tea on Sundays. We dined at Mr. Pedro de Regil’s and afterwards Alvaro (who seems rather a care to his father but a nice boy) took me round the plaza in his car.

Monday March 16

I thought it was about time Miss Delany kept her promise and took me to school. So I caught her on the car, to her horror – and went to the convent. The sister who opened the door seemed rather surprised to see me! I found out afterwards there is no admittance for gentlemen over 12 years! However she was persuaded to ask the Mother Superior if I could spend the morning there! I was accused by Miss D. of smelling very strongly of tobacco! The end of it was I was told politely that it would be better not! My first and probably last visit to the convent! The good lady sent a message to say she’d be pleased to make my acquaintance some future day and would show me round the rabbit hutches! (the one form of amusement apparently to keep rabbits to eat them later). I’m looking forward to a frisk round the canary cages with the Mother Superior---------------

After recovering from the rebuff I took the tram into Merida where an hour in the plaza goes very quickly. Although the weather has been very kind to us the afternoons are always hot – I find them so at least – and nobody goes out who is not obliged to.

Beatriz, Miss Delany and I went out ‘calling’ in the motor after tea. At one house – where there were ten in the family – they all brought their "robes de nuit’ (French for nightdress) down to show us the stitching -which really was fine – on them. I am to go again to see one that is on order (they are what the lower classes wear here and are called ‘epils’ [?]? The cross-stitch work is magnificent – I must try to get hold of a sample. The lights went out in the evening! ‘Henriquito’ Camara took me out to dinner at the Restaurant here where we partook of various local dishes. After a short visit to a Cinematograph show I got back in time to join in a game of Poker which went very well for the later arrival – who was consequently not very popular.

Tuesday March 17

The first time here I have been last down to breakfast. Went into town with Auntie Kitty, got hot walking about and as usual enjoyed the shade of the plaza.

After a siesta and [? ?] I went ‘calling’ with Auntie Kitty – or rather she did the ‘calling’ while I talked to Henrique the chauffeur who is really very interesting. He seemed to know everyone from the nigger cabman to the finest lady in Merida.

I kept my appointment of yesterday and called again at the ‘dangerous’ hour. I forgot to say they wanted me to cable home and say I could not get back as soon as I expected as there were some girls in Merida who wanted me to stay for the festivities of Easter! I shall soon be suffering from a badly swelled head.

A cutthroat game of "A[?]" saw me the winner but at present (Thursday) I haven’t "realized" owing to some slight misunderstanding about points!

Wednesday March 18^th

We all took our usual trip into Merida. Some to work – Paul and I to the plaza. I missed my siesta – a fact worth recording. Instead Don Rafael [de Regil] showed me over his house and collection of antiquities, largely books.

His house consists of eighty rooms! A Fine collection of furniture, idols, crossses, pictures, etc. – but it was very warm work. ‘Pedrito’ Peon came for dinner in the evening and left his money behind!

Thursday March 19^th

Rather warmer. Paul and I entertained each other in the garden instead of going into town. – As hide-and-seek in the hot sun is apt to become a little too much of an exercise I was glad to be able to keep out of sight – on one occasion for quite a long time in the shade on the lawn.

Auntie Kitty "took" Uncle Willie and me out to lunch in honour of Sra Portunando’s Saint’s Day – it being St. Joseph’s Day, so all the Josephs and Josephas make it the occasion for a ‘bust’! –

It was very hot and I was not prepared for four courses before the sweets. Nobody seemed to refuse – However, I pulled through all right. The function took place in Don Alfredo’s [de Regil] new villa which is finely built but is used chiefly – it would seem – as a chapel and place of retirement for him and his priest friends.

Friday March 20^th

Mail day – I seem quite ‘busy’. Four letters are quite an effort. Rather warmer!

My usual morning in the ‘Plaza’ – very fascinating to watch the movements of the people. Somebody said yesterday "You know you English people think we go about in Yucatan with feathers in our heads!" They certainly do not.

After the sun had lost its strength we went down to the shops and I bought a few native garments, which seem cheap. A little ‘Californian Jack’ with Auntie Kitty in the evening.

Saturday March 21^st

My share of the morning’s work was to ‘remember’ to buy a bottle of whiskey – which privilege I did not abuse. In the afternoon Beatriz, Miss Delany and I went to an ‘English’ tea to meet another bevy of beautiful maidens. The ‘English’ part of the entertainment suited me -, but towards the end it rather lapsed into Spanish!

There were seven to dinner and some ‘poker’ afterwards – the guests triumphant. I don’t want to get any hotter than this – Have been milling all day and there is every prospect of the process continuing through the night.

Sunday March 22^nd

A welcome breeze and rain started in the early hours. Until then the heat and a certain mosquito which had got inside my net and took some time to bring to ground – proved rather troublesome.

The Plaza looks very different in the rain – Everybody stays at home and shivers and though I feel it quite warm here there seem to be a number of people who are actually ‘ill’ with the cold.

‘Pedrito’ Peon took me along to the baseball game in the afternoon, but it was hopeless and had to be abandoned.

Friends and relations came in one by one for tea – various forms of amusements, Aquiel and early evening.

Monday March 23^rd

I visited the Cathedral in the morning but seemed to get rather in the way of the people praying -–Also retrieved long lost key which arrived from Jalapa. All the chickens of the unfortunate person owning the piece of land next to this house have been stolen in the night – and they say there are no thieves in Merida!

Tuesday March 24^th

Except that I see it is the day before the Grand National and I’ve forgotten whether I entrusted a commission to Bertram or not there is nothing exciting to record. Don Gabriel [Arano] came for lunch and Mr. Treadwell (?) the auditor for dinner. The latter forgot to leave twenty cents behind which he lost at bridge.

I wonder what as won the ‘National." I expect if HRM has been lucky enough to back a winner the proceeds, or his best overcoat have been stolen by now. Oh dear – It is distinctly hot today. I have decided to go with Mr. Treadwell and Absalom the faithful majordomo of Uayalceh to the ‘hacienda’ for the night.

The new experience of traveling in a ‘fishing carriage’ which I shall know more about after the ride, a night at the hacienda and home tomorrow night. On the way down to catch the train the tram came off the line so I jumped into a ‘coach’ after waiting a few minutes. It was a bad investment as they got the tram going directly I started. Very hot going out to Uayalceh where we went over the ‘works’ and arranged for our meal and ‘beds.’ After supper the band very kindly obliged us with the same old tune. Mr. Treadwell got a shock the first time his hand was kissed.

Thursday March 26

My ‘bed’ took the form of a hammock and being made of hemp was rather ‘scratchy’ – however by using my sheet as a mattress I managed to sleep fairly well until the bells at 4:30 rang, It is not often I can boast of waking anyone but I was up at six and roused my [?] companion – (I wish he would not talk so much about his ‘business’). Breakfast was over at 7:30 and later we went out in a ’plata forma’ or [?] to see the men cutting hemp in the fields. Lunch - or ‘breakfast’ properly was at 11:30 and though I don’t know where the cook came from it was excellent. I was bowled out at the third course. Don’t know how people can eat so much on a roasting day. Incidentally – there was suckling pig on the menu too. Then our travelling began. With the faithful Absalom as guide we left Uayalceh soon after one o’clock on the mule tram for Sotuta where Mr. Treadwell glanced at a few books and we were all refreshed with fruit and a few drinks. From Sotuta we had a ‘joy ride’ in what is called a "fighting carriage" to Tekik (Mr. Pedro de Regil’s hacienda). This extraordinary vehicle –drawn by three mules – is designed for bad roads. The ‘body’ of the thing in which there were four of us is suspended from the ‘chassis’ – for want of a better word – on two leather straps which are the springs. Every time the wheels (there are two very large ones) go over a rock one gets almost thrown against the roof. The chief discomfort, besides its infernal bumping is the habit [?] have of trying to get round your neck.

Another really hot day. I think Auntie Kitty even, who for some reason! Wants me to feel how uncomfortable the climate here can be, is satisfied... Even too hot for a siesta in the afternoon. The water is more than warm and there is no fire which speaks for the heat of the sun!

I saw Pedro Peon as far as his seminary where he is going into ‘retreat’ for three days – I don’t envy him.

Saturday March 28^th

The chief object these days is to keep cool – I fail hopelessly – Auntie Kitty and Beatriz went off to Uayalceh after lunch – Phew – Got eaten by mosquitoes at the ‘English Tea’ which otherwise was enjoyable.

Mosquitoes, mosquitoes – I wish they’d eat themselves.

Sunday March 29^th

The ‘travellers’ returned when we were at breakfast having been up since 5 a.m.

I visited a new family in the morning and perspired.

Too hot to go to the baseball game in the afternoon – in fact, too hot for anything.

Monday March 30^th

Was wakened early by some fancy dress photograph scheme that was on foot. Took the 9 o’clock car into Merida but having arrived at the Arrigunaga’s house found the photograph was "off."

The rest of the morning seemed to be spent chiefly in sampling Yucatecan wines and spirits which certainly were excellent – Visited the sick ‘Antonio’ whose doctor was in attendance and said the patient might dine out tomorrow night – It seems a little cooler.

We dined at the Camara’s and I won a little money.

Tuesday March 31^st

It is no good talking about the heat. I’ve been reading an old letter from home saying what better weather they were having – that seems to help a little! To pack ----

Friends and relations and acquaintances called in the afternoon to say goodbye and incidentally to hamper the packing. Had dinner at Mousette’s with Antonio Llaviada and Henrique Camara.

Wednesday April 1^st

This web page was last updated on Sunday, April 11, 2004.